A hundred years ago, werewolf Alpha Montgomery took a risk driven by desperation—he borrowed money from the ancient dragon Warwick Ehecatl, putting up the pack lands as collateral. Now the debt is due, and dragons don’t forget—or forgive. Warwick demands Montgomery’s son, Avery, and three businesses as compensation. As an Omega, Avery knows he is basically useless to his pack, so he might as well agree. He soon has second thoughts, though. Warwick is fearsome, and he’s free to do as he likes with Avery.

Warwick knows his race’s reputation, and he even admits some of it is deserved. But he’d rather cut off his tail than let his innocent mate’s light go out. It won’t be easy, but buried deep, there’s something between them worth safeguarding.

THE SUBTLE lighting in
the office in his house cast long shadows that danced across the room. Burning
wood popped and hissed in the fireplace, the scent bringing back memories from
yesteryear. Restless, Warwick shoved back from his monstrosity of a desk.

The warmth of the
fire beckoned, and seeing no reason to deny himself, he strode across the
floor. As he drew nearer, the heat wrapped around his body, and he sighed.
Bending, he held his hands out toward the crackling fire. Once his fingers
warmed, he straightened and turned.

With his back to
the fire, he carelessly brushed a long strand of hair behind his ear. He’d
opened the blinds when he’d entered his office in a hopeless bid for daylight,
not that it did much good. Good thing his eyesight was better than a human’s.

The day was
dreary, rainy, and overcast. He hated this time of the year. No matter how many
layers of clothes he wore, the endless chill seeped in. He much preferred heat
and humidity, sunny skies and warmth. His kind detested the cold.

Still staring out
of the ground floor window, he took notice of the foot traffic on the street,
darting here and there like worker bees. Paranormals mixed with humans—there
was no hiding now. As with anything else, there were those who thought the
species should be separated and those who didn’t. Werewolves had made their
presence known sometime in the 1700s. Other paranormal beings had come out not
long after.

Once the panic
had died down, humans responded fairly well. For the most part, anyhow. There
were still squabbles, of course. Humans didn’t seem to know how to do anything
else. Fortunately they tended to leave paranormals alone. More often than not,
they were too busy fighting among themselves.

What the humans
were calling the Great War was in full swing. Warwick brushed a microscopic
piece of fuzz from his shirt, shaking his head. Humans and their wars. Would
they never learn? But there was no denying it afforded him the opportunity to
invest in their conflicts, and dragons never passed up an opportunity to add to
their hoard.

A soft knock at
his office door drew his attention. He inhaled, and the scent of hair cream,
freshly pressed clothes, and human teased his senses.

“Enter,” Warwick
called.

Clarence Wiltshire,
his clerk, opened the office door. He started toward the desk but paused when
he saw no one sat behind it. Confident of where he would find his boss, he
glanced at the fireplace. “Sir, there’s an Alpha Theodore Montgomery of the
Sunset Creek Pack here to see you.”

Warwick pursed
his lips. “Interesting.”

“I’ll say, sir.”
Clarence bobbed his head. “It must be catastrophic to send an Alpha werewolf to
your doorstep.”

“Only one way to
find out.” As much as he hated leaving the roaring fire, Warwick crossed the
floor, his footsteps muffled by the oriental rugs, and returned to his desk.
“Give it twenty minutes, then escort him back. Also make sure to offer him a
beverage while he waits.”

“He’s not going
to like having to wait, sir.”

“I’m well aware.”
Warwick picked up his absurdly expensive tailored suit coat and slipped it on.
“That’s the point.”

“Yes, sir.”
Clarence smirked, then wiped any emotions off his face, going back to the usual
pleasant blankness he showed prospective clients. “Twenty minutes.”

“Thank you.”
Warwick settled into his comfortable desk chair. This was no casual meeting. He
intended to throw the Alpha off-balance by having him wait, but the ploy would
also show exactly who held the power in the room.

Twenty minutes
later to the second, his efficient assistant escorted Alpha Montgomery
inside. Warwick stood and acknowledged the Alpha with a slight bob of his head.
There was no need for him to bare his throat since he wasn’t another werewolf,
not that he would anyhow. Dragons were at the top of the shifter food chain.
Nor did he offer his hand. Werewolves tended to be snarly about who touched
them without permission, the silly creatures.

Alpha Montgomery
acknowledged the greeting and returned it, although his head bob was much more
grandiose.

“Thank you.”
Alpha Montgomery crossed the room, his gait hurried. “I appreciate you seeing
me without the courtesy of having an appointment.”

“Yes, well,
circumstances are usually dire when people come to me, and often they don’t
have time to make one. Have a seat.” Warwick gestured at the plush wine-colored
leather chairs in front of his desk. He made a point of standing. Warwick would
not sit first. Having another paranormal look up to him was another way to
reinforce who was more commanding.

Alpha Montgomery
gritted his teeth. Ah yes, there was nothing better than power games first
thing in the morning.

As the struggle
for control continued, Warwick took note of his visitor. Like most werewolves,
the Alpha was a large male with muscles. Unless the wolf was an Omega, they
were also hairy, above average in height, and had dark hair and eyes.

Warwick ensured
his features remained blank, even as he smirked inside. Compared with a
werewolf, he was not only shorter, but less muscled. While the werewolf was
bulky, Warwick was lean and mean. The only thing he and the Alpha had in common
was the dark hair Warwick also wore long.

“Thank you.”
Alpha Montgomery lowered himself into one of the seats.

“Now, please,
tell me how I may be of service.” Satisfied his point had been made, Warwick
sat behind his desk. Just because the atmosphere was tense didn’t mean manners
had to be left outside the door.

“I need a loan.”

“Most people do
when they come to me.” Precise and to the point. He liked that. Warwick opened
a desk drawer and withdrew several forms. “How much?”

“I see.” He
pushed the sheets of paper across the desk. “The forms are standard. Fill them
out so I have an idea of what you plan to put up as collateral for such a
massive loan.”

“Collateral.”
Alpha Montgomery tugged at his collar in what Warwick assumed was an effort to
loosen the suffocating restriction from his tie. “I, ah, was hoping not to put
anything up.”

Warwick swallowed
the laugh bubbling up. “And I was hoping to spend this winter on a warm, sunny
beach—neither of which is going to happen, unfortunately. If you want the loan,
you put up collateral. That’s the only way I do business.”

Alpha Montgomery
scowled. “Do you know who I am? The connections I have? The fact that my pack
is one of the largest around, that should be sufficient.”

“It isn’t.”
Warwick coolly gazed across the desk. “Alpha, you need the money. I have it to
give. Paranormals only come to me as a last resort, so I’m sure you’ve tried to
obtain the currency elsewhere. Am I right?”

Alpha Montgomery
didn’t speak, but his scowl said enough. So did the sudden spike in tension.
The acidic scent of bone-deep worry filled Warwick’s nostrils. He struggled to
suppress the sneeze that threatened.

“I thought so. If
I loan you the money, you will put up collateral,” Warwick continued. Arrogant
werewolf. Did the Alpha really think Warwick would loan him the sum he quoted
with nothing more than his signature? “And from the amount you requested, I’m
going to demand every property you own.”

“You can’t do
that!” Alpha Montgomery’s claws peeked out as he gripped the chair arms. “If I
default—”

“I’ll take
everything you own, kick your pack off your land, and sell it to recoup my
losses.” Warwick shrugged. “That’s the price of doing business, my dear Alpha.
Take the money or not. It matters not to me.”

Warwick faced the
Alpha. His eyes shifted into a brilliant purple, the color of his dragon, with
a slitted black pupil. Scrollwork, only slightly lighter than the purple of his
eyes, appeared upon his eyelids and right below his eyes. His fangs, which
appeared normal in human form, lengthened. His fingernails grew to deadly sharp
claws as he partially shifted. “Indeed I am.” Menace, deep and thick, vibrated
in his voice. “Something you may wish to keep in mind, considering I can snap
your neck with little to no thought.” Warwick unleashed his power, which seeped
through the room, blanketing everything. A smothered gasp came from the outer
office where Clarence’s desk was located. It wasn’t the first time his
assistant experienced such, and no doubt would not be the last.

Alpha Montgomery
straightened in his chair and snarled as his own power rose to meet Warwick’s.
Sweat beaded and rolled down the Alpha’s face. The flames in the lanterns
flickered, and the air shimmered. But as quickly as Alpha Montgomery’s power
rose, it dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. The Alpha collapsed back
in the chair, pale and shivering.

Warwick, still
composed as ever, finally allowed the smirk that had been lurking to cross his
face. “That was unwise, Alpha. You may be powerful, but you’re nothing compared
to me. I was centuries old before you were ever born. Test me again and the
next time, you won’t walk out of here on your own two feet.”

Alpha Montgomery
gulped.

“Now, are you
filling out those papers or are you leaving my office empty-handed?”

“F-filling out
the papers.” Fear rolled off the Alpha werewolf.

“Excellent.”
Warwick leaned back in his chair and returned to his wholly human form, pleased
he’d made his point. “Now, make sure to fill out the paperwork fully, please.”

Eort
was roughly the height of an average human with primarily reddish-yellow skin.
A slight glowed surrounded his body. There were six thin legs that made it
possible for quick movement in any direction. The legs were attached at the
base of the torso.

The
alien had two arms, with what resembled humanoid elbows and wrists. Each arm
ended in a multi-fingered hand. Eort had a visible, thick neck, and a triangle-shaped
head covered by a semitransparent membrane. Two round, glowing, yellow
pupilless eyes stared at them.

“This the property?” Eort asked,
pointing a long spindly finger at Dayo.

“Yes. Is the buyer here?” Torin glanced around
the area. “I don’t see him.”

“He has arrived.” Eort
chittered. “Pay dues for overseeing sale, and owner will be allowed in.”

Belton lifted his wrist and
activated his comm. “Done.”

Eort tilted his head, almost as
if he was listening telepathically to someone, and then grinned. “Verified. New
owner is cleared to enter. Business much appreciated. Leave when finished.”

Torin rolled his eyes at Eort’s
back. “Thank you so much.” He turned to Belton after Eort left, shutting the door behind him. “Creepy things.”

“Agreed,” Belton said, shifting
from foot to foot. “And untrustworthy. Let’s hope the buyer hurries up and gets
here soon so we can—”

A door opened, and a male
entered. He was wide at the shoulder, with a thick waist, and short powerful
legs that were encased in black pants. A narrow head led to an impossibly long
snout complete with tusks.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Time for a Tuesday Teaser!!! Dayo isn't in a good place, as y'all can tell from this snippet. The Blishue are a new race I invented for this series. They are NOT nice guys. *grin* We'll be seeing a lot of them lol.

“We’re going to drop the force field. Make one wrong move,
and I will beat you senseless.” The Blishue tightened his grip on the stunner.
“I almost hope you do.”

“Captain says as long as he obeys, he’s not to be hurt,”
said the other Blishue who held the tray.

The one holding the stunner went to the guard station and
tapped a few buttons. The force field dropped, the lights flickered, and then returned to their
normal brightness. Odd, but Dayo had more important things to worry about than
what might have been nothing more than a power surge.

The guard who held the stunner kept a trained eye on Dayo as
the other one put the tray on the ground. He scooted it into Dayo’s cell and
stepped back, but the force field didn’t reactivate. Instead, the one with the
stunner left the guard station and walked toward Dayo’s cell.

“Torin, hold my stunner.”

Dayo took note of the name.

Torin frowned but took the weapon. “Why?”

“Because I said so.” Grinning, the other Blishue stepped into
Dayo’s cell.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

OMG, how did it get to August so damn fast? Okay, y'all, ready for your Tuesday Teaser lol? ;)

Dayo
tugged Raiden to the dance floor as the band launched into a sweet Quai slow song.
“Let’s dance.”

The
lights went down, and the glass domed ceiling came alive with soft purple
lights. The stars in the darkened sky added to the ambience. The floor under
their feet also gleamed purple. Strings with white lights and more lanterns
than Raiden could count added a soft glow.

He
wrapped his arm around Dayo’s waist and held his other hand up, off to the
side. Dayo pressed one of his palm against Raiden’s, and rested his other hand
on Raiden’s shoulder. Slowly Raiden moved, gliding across the floor with Dayo
in his arms. Other couples joined them on the dance floor. Raiden and Dayo were
the only couple dancing in such a way.

“It’s
so beautiful.”

“Romantic
comes to mind.” Raiden pulled Dayo closer until there wasn’t an inch between
the two of them. His body reacted, like it always did. The soft purple light gleamed
on Dayo’s black hair. “Have I told you lately how gorgeous I think you are?”

“It’s
been a day, at least.” Dayo rested his head against Raiden’s shoulder.

Raiden
whispered against Dayo’s ear, “Then shame on me. I can’t wait to get back to
our quarters so I can wrap myself in the black silk of your hair. Those
stunning blue eyes of yours remind me ofthe thin rim of blue around Tah’Nar’s moon. And those
sexy lips of yours… I never get tired of seeing them wrapped around my cock.”

Dayo
tightened his hand that rested on Raiden’s shoulder and growled softly. “Dammit,
you just had to go and make me hard.”

Writing Schedule — 2018

About Me

Hey and welcome to my M/M blog!
My published name is M.A. Church, but I also wrote as nomoretears00. I'm a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now I spend my days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding my numerous shifters, or trying to tempt my country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it! When not writing, I'm exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching my beloved Steelers, or sitting glued to HGTV. That’s if I'm not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. I'm married to my high school sweetheart, and we have two grown children.